USA 2025 - A to Z (D)

Today we are working our way through the USA 2025 journey via the alphabet with ‘D’ for donations. 

When comparing USA 2025 to the other events that I’ve done, there were four stand out statistics. 

• The total value of donations DURING the 74 days of the event was the second highest of any I’ve done. It was only eclipsed by the first USA run in 2011.
• The amount donated by local people during the run was the highest by a considerable margin.
• The average donation was the highest ever by a considerable margin. 
• There were the most amount of anonymous donations. Thank you, whoever you are.

At the time of writing an amazing £30,730 has been raised for St. Benedict’s Hospice. That has attracted Gift Aid of just over £5000. With the current overall total sitting at £376,500.44, my dream of raising at least half a million pounds for good causes is still very much alive and kicking.

Forget the porridge and pasta, donations were and always have been my main fuel source. Donations give me the emotional drive and sense of purpose that keep me pushing forward, mile after mile after mile. 

Knowing that each step helps support the kind of incredible care that my Mam was given turns every mile into something far more meaningful than just a physical challenge. 

Without the kind donations from so many people, I would not be able to repay the debt of gratitude that I feel towards the hospice. For that, I’m eternally grateful. 

My donations page is still open if you’d like to support the USA 2025 run in aid of St. Benedict’s Hospice at www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025.

USA 2025 - A to Z (C)

Through the alphabet, today we continue the A to Z series of USA2025 recollections with ‘C’ for clouds. They aren’t just for staring at and deciding what objects they resemble. The colour, height and texture of a cloud was invaluable to me when predicting the weather conditions. I’m no expert but I can spot a storm a mile off. Or not. Sometimes a sinister looking cloud can prove to be a false alarm. 

The main point I want to make is the imprint that cloud patterns make on my brain. I first noticed this after the run across the USA in 2011. 

You’re probably wondering what on earth I’m talking about. Let me explain. There are times when I step out of my front door at home and I look at the clouds. Quite often, I’m immediately taken back to Kansas, Colorado, California or any of the other 11 states that I’ve ran across. “These look just like Kansas” is a typical thought to myself. Sometimes I look to the sky and I feel nothing. There’s always a feeling of disappointment when that happens. Does anyone else compare their “home sky” to other places in the world? 

The clouds this summer in the USA didn’t disappoint. There were far more storm clouds this time around compared to 2011. I do love a good storm.

If you're enjoying this A to Z series and have been inspired by the run across the USA then there's always still time to make a donation to St. Benedict's Hospice via www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025. Thanks in advance for you kindness.

USA 2025 - A to Z (B)

Continuing the A to Z series of USA2025 recollections today ‘B’ is for Brownie. Who can forget that emotional meeting with a friendly dog on day 66. 

My blog recalls “I reached the road and could see a storm approaching. 

There was a rumble of thunder almost immediately. I wasn’t concerned and pushed on. I went past what I think was a farm. I looked around and a dog approached me. It joined me on the road. Its tongue was hanging out and it looked parched. I gave it some of my water. I think it was just after a bit of attention and affection. I started to stroke its head just like I would to Órlaith back home. To have that connection with a dog again felt very special. I half jokingly said “are you coming to California with me?”.

It didn’t return to its home. It was just me and her (as I half guessed) on the road for now. I kept asking her to “go home”. It continued to follow me. 

The thunder was rumbling by now and it started to rain. The dog was on the road with me and I had to gesture to numerous cars to slow down. Being the big softie that I am, I found the situation distressing. At the same time, I was enjoying the company of man’s best friend. That was short lived as we were now on a busy road to Lakin. She simply led the way, almost as if she knew my route. 

The tears were streaming down my face as I kept telling her “you need to go home”. That’s a phrase that I could have been telling myself under the circumstances. 

As luck would have it, I flagged down a passing police car. I told the lovely police officer, Sheila, about my journey and the current predicament with the dog. Officer Sheila was absolutely lovely. She radioed for assistance because the dog could not go in the police car. We talked some more and officer Sheila responded to the dogs request for a belly rub. 

“I wonder what her name is?” I asked. Officer Sheila named her “Brownie” right there and then. When I was happy that Brownie was in good hands, I continued on the road to Lakin. 

I sobbed buckets. Despite the briefest of encounters I will miss Brownie. It’s got a lot to do with the fact I’m missing Órlaith back home. Also, those eyes staring up at me, just wanting some love and affection. That’s an image that will stay in my mind for a long time.”

When I ran across the USA in 2011, I was “chased” by dogs most days. I wasn’t a dog owner back then and not really what we call a “dog person”. If I had have been, I’m sure I would have seen the dogs I encountered back then in a different light. 

Officer Sheila made a kind donation to St. Benedict’s Hospice a few weeks ago via www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025. She left the following message which revealed Brownie’s real name. 

“Keep up the great work! It was a pleasure meeting you! Oh, the dog’s real name was Ginger.” 

Despite that, I will always refer to my little friend as Brownie.

USA 2025 - A to Z (A)

This is the first in a series of posts which take a casual look back at this summer's run across the USA. As we journey through the alphabet, there'll be a varying length of posts with some using pictures only. Some will take a deeper dive. I hope it brings back some good memories for all readers.

Starting things off is ‘A’ is for animals. The images below are just a small selection of all the creatures, great and small, that I spotted across the USA. There were some most unexpected ones!

USA 2025 - 4 weeks later

It’s been 4 weeks since the end of the 2025 run across the USA. It’s time for a brief update. My recovery is going well and, at this early stage, is in line with the 5 other major events that I’ve done. 

Almost all of the external damage to my feet has healed. There is a lot of numbness in both feet. If it’s anything like previous years, I hope to have full feeling back anywhere between 6 and 12 months. It’s all guess work on my part though. Australia took the longest in 2014. The damage this year feels close to what I suffered back then. 

The painful spots in my left foot (like someone randomly sticking a pin in now and again) are all but gone. Sadly, the same can’t be said of my right foot however. After each of the 3 visits to the gym this week, I’ve left in agony. It’s no fun limping around between machines either. That’s not enough to put me off going at this stage. I’ve really enjoyed being back with David Fairlamb at his gym in Tyne Tunnel Estate. The benefits to mental health far outweigh any short term pain. It’s been a nice change to lift some weights and put the upper half of my body through its paces. There’s a lot of hard work to get through. My posture, in particular, has regressed. I’ve lost a lot of power and strength too. That’s what you get for being on your feet with the same repetitive motion for hours, days, weeks and months on end I guess. 

With all of that said, I have no regrets whatsoever at giving the run across the USA a go this year. I really should have given up after 200 or so miles in the Appalachians. To add 1643 miles and £21,000 more pounds after that for St. Benedict’s Hospice makes the pain more than worthwhile as far as I’m concerned. If I could turn back time, I’d do it all again without hesitation. 

At the time of writing, £30,499.94 has been raised for St. Benedict’s Hospice. Thank you once again to everyone who has contributed to that amount. I see you (apart from the 97 anonymous donations) and I fully appreciate your kindness. As does St. Benedict’s Hospice of course. 

If you haven’t got round to donating yet, then there’s still time to do so at https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025.

USA 2025 - 10 days later

It’s been 10 days since I finished running at Forrest Gump Point in Utah. I’m pleased to report that the tingling in my feet is getting less and less intense each day. The picture is the remaining damage on my left foot (Sorry! I've made the image as small as possible).

I’m also very relieved to have had my first proper night of sleep last night. Up to now, I still seem to have been on Pacific Time. Being wide awake at 3am has been no fun at all this last week. I'm still waking up with a bit of confusion as to where the RV is or how far I have to run today. To have last last more than a day or two is new to this campaign. The sense of relief that follows is really nice though.

Back to home matters and I’ve been having a lot of fun with Órlaith. These are precious moments that I didn’t dare think about while pounding the roads in the USA. 

Donna and I had a bit of talk about events in the USA last night. Many aspects were discussed and it was really good to reflect. I’m still of the opinion that it was the toughest running/hobbling that I’ve ever done. USA 2011 was l about performance and had a large team to support that. At its worst that run was 176 miles behind schedule. With 4 days to go there was a deficit of 73 miles. I was subject to a huge amount of panic and anxiety. 

I ran 195 miles over the last 4 days. That was made up of 3 x 45 miles days and a 60 miler on the final day. The money poured in to St. Benedict's Hospice and The Children's Foundation. As the saying goes, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times". 

Australia 2013 was extremely tough and saw my feet disintegrate. I was able to compete that run by adding 12 days to the schedule. It was quite a small but very capable team back then. I had a sports therapist on the team which helped massively. From a mental health point of view, nothing will ever beat Australia. I lost my mind back then. Lessons were learned that took into future runs and even USA 2025 benefitted from that. 

Europe 2016 was another one that was about performance and a large team supported it. My feet were in a bad way after 3 weeks. However, having a podiatrist on the team was massively important. Looking back, the miles I ran there together with the elevation, was mind blowing. 

I made a mockery of the mountains in the Pyrenees and the Alps some days. That run had strategically placed rest days. That made a huge difference. That run was cut short by 600!miles. That was due to losing the finish line in Istanbul (remember the attempted military coup of 2016??). The finish line became Belgrade, Serbia. I didn’t realise at the time but that setup the next run perfectly. 

In 2018, I didn’t have a support team. Instead, I pulled my buggy behind me from Belgrade, through Romania, to Kiev, Ukraine. After USA 2011, it was the most lucrative run I’d done with £59,041.50 raised for St. Benedict’s Hospice. I had problems with my feet again on this run. Thankfully, a kind lady in Kalush, Ukraine was able to patch them up. This was good enough to get me to the finish line at Independence Square, Kiev. 

If all of the other runs were about performance then USA 2025 was not that. This run was different. It was about raw, unshakable determination. It was about getting up every morning, no matter how broken or tired, and putting one foot in front of the other. It was about showing up for St. Benedict’s Hospice, for the people I cared about, and for the promise I made to myself to keep going no matter what and repay a profoundly felt debt of gratitude. USA 2025 wasn’t a race. It was a test of the human spirit. 

The overwhelmingly positive reaction to this years run and the way it ended has really surprised me. I’ve received emails, messages and comments that prove to me that people have really bought into my journey. I hesitate to use the word “enjoyed” but there is evidence of that that too. It must have been hard to follow at times. 

The most pleasing thing is the amount of money that is being raised for St. Benedict's Hospice. At the time of writing, the total is £30,167.04. I’ll be seeking donations right up until the end of 2025 so the final total won’t be known for some time yet. 

The common theme amongst all of the runs from 2011 is the support of my, now main sponsor, Chapman Ventilation. I had intended to make the run across the USA in 2011 my final event. It cost £15,000 of my own money to do. Given that £105,717.80 was raised for charity, it was well worth it. Up to that point £157,351.80 had been raised since I started fundraising in 1993. Thanks to the kind backing of Chapman Ventilation, I've been able to attract a further £218,585.68 of public donations since then. The latest position is below. If you've made a contribution to the money donated below, THANK YOU!!!!!

If you haven’t got round to sponsoring this years effort across the USA then please visit justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025.

USA 2025 - Fundraising Milestone

The run across the USA may have ended 8 days ago at Forrest Gump point but the donations to St. Benedict's Hospice are still coming in. The charity fund has now smashed through the £30,000 barrier with over £6,000 donated since the run finished. That’s some absolutely incredible kindness and generosity. 

Thank you, once again, to everybody who has visited justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025 and made a donation. If you haven’t got round to making a donation then it’s never too late to show your support to St. Benedict’s Hospice when it’s needed most.

USA 2025 - 7 days later

It’s been a week since my running came to an end at Forrest Gump point in Monument Valley, Utah. Over £6400 has been kindly donated to St. Benedict’s Hospice since then. The fund is well on the way to another major milestone. There’s more on that below. 

I’m pleased to report that the swelling in both of my feet has gone right down. That’s thanks mainly to having them put up for the best part of the last 2 days. I can now fit into a regular pair of running shoes again. 

With my tingling feet, I managed to go around the block with Órlaith this morning. That’s some good progress. I do wonder what she makes of my nearly 3 month absence. Thankfully, we’ve picked up from where we left off as if nothing had happened. 

The thing I’m struggling with is sleep. That’s not a problem I usually have in regular life. I think I’m still on LA time! I was awake for 21 hours yesterday before I finally fell asleep around 0500 today. I’m sure that will return to normal next week. At least I hope it does.

I’m still waking up with a brief state of confusion. Where do I have to run today? Where is the RV? Why is someone in my bed? Whose dog is that? It’s hilarious really. It’s something that’s usually happened the day after I finish a big event. The day after I finished running across the USA in 2011, for example, is a classic story. One for another time.

Further kind donations yesterday saw the charity fund for St. Benedict's Hospice get closer to £30,000. The current total is £29,797.04. That has attracted around £5000 in Gift Aid which is a component of my fundraising that I never take into account. I think Gift Aid is around the £50,000 mark since the very start in 1993.

One of the kind donations today was from Deputy Sheila Gonzales who you may remember I met on day 66. I was in a right state of emotions when the lovely dog, which she named Brownie, followed me on a dangerous busy road. 

Thanks Deputy Sheila for your very kind donation today. Thanks also for finding out what the dog’s real name is too. If you’d like to find out then the answer is over at https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025.

In other news, I’ve dropped further weight since I got back from the USA. I’m very conscious of not putting weight back on as has been the case in the past. So far so good but it’s very early days. 

I’ll be back in the gym next week for some very light work. Some walks with Órlaith will help me get my steps in too. My legs have never been so thin. I feel like I’ve lost a lot of power. 1000 watts on the bike is probably a long way off. 

That’s all for today. Thanks again to everyone who has made a donation to St. Benedict’s Hospice. If you’ve enjoyed the blogs, the live updates or been inspired by the journey then please consider donating at https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025.

USA 2025 - 6 days later

The good news is that I had 7 hours of sleep last night. The bad news is that I was awake and hungry for 4 hours from midnight to 0400. Once again, I woke up confused and wondering where the RV was or what time my flight was. That’s all standard stuff and has happened after every trans continental run I’ve ever done. 

The brilliant news is that there were further donations over night as I slept. Thanks again to everyone who has donated. 3.8 million steps across 1843 miles and 74 days was all worthwhile as the charity total approaches £30,000.

In other news, I got weighed this morning on a body composition monitor. I’ve lost 20kg (44 pounds or 3 stones and 2 pounds) since leaving for the USA in April. There is a lot of work to do here to lose further weight and regain some of the lean weight that I’ve lost. I’m in a good place with it so far but have to be very careful not too put the weight back on. 

My feet are showing some signs of recovery. The swelling has gone right down and the external damage is healing. 

I’ll be attempting to take Órlaith for a walk today. I’m not too steady on my feet yet so the slightest incline is difficult. I’m not quite used to the stairs in the house either. Thankfully, all of that is temporary.

A funny one from yesterday - I was just having a tactical snooze (albeit for 3 hours) when I was woken up by a familiar sound. I thought I was back in Kansas for a moment. Opposite the bedroom window was the farmer going about his work. You couldn’t make it up! 

USA 2025 - Back Home

It’s beyond wonderful to be back on home soil. Last night, I arrived at Newcastle Airport right on time after some great flights with British Airways.

I was greeted by support man Calrton inside the terminal. Waiting outside were Donna and Órlaith (pictured below). I'll let you decide who was the more excited to see each other.

I suddenly have a wardrobe that fits me again! The challenge now is to continue to get fitter and recover well. I’ve lost a lot of lean weight so I’ll be working on that over the coming months. I doubt there will be running involved. 

I’ve got another 4 weeks off before I return to work. I could have gone back sooner but I’m in a period of unpaid leave and need to see that out. I’m only then at my current job for 2 weeks. While I was in the USA, my previous employer asked if I would be interested in returning. So I’m going back to Virgin Money in September. I’m hugely excited about that as I have a lot of friends there. I’m equally as sad at leaving my current job as I work with some great people. 

In terms of fundraising, I remain committed to raising as much as I possibly can for St. Benedict's Hospice. How I now do that is going to take some working out. My immediate focus is spending some quality time with Donna and Órlaith. Oh and I don’t own a pair of trainers either. I’d best buy a pair. I left my last pair in California. They were rotten!

Thanks to those kind folk who have donated and continue to do so. Over £29,000 has been raised so far for St. Benedict’s Hospice during this campaign. The support has been immense. If you’d like to make a donation then there is still time to do so at https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025.